Speculation grows over Kim Jong Un’s successor after daughter’s China visit

Published on Authored by C to I News Desk

Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter made her first public appearance abroad this week, joining the North Korean leader on a visit to Beijing. The trip has sparked fresh speculation about her possible role as a future leader in the secretive country’s dynastic regime.

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North Korean flags. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

The young girl, believed to be Kim Ju Ae, was seen closely following her father as they arrived in the Chinese capital by armoured train from Pyongyang. Kim Jong Un was in Beijing to attend a large military parade organised by China to mark Japan’s surrender at the end of World War Two in the Pacific.

This is the first time she has accompanied her father outside North Korea, a move that experts say may be part of her gaining experience in state affairs.

The North Korean government has never officially confirmed her name or age, but South Korean intelligence believes she is the daughter identified as Ju Ae by former US basketball player Dennis Rodman. Rodman visited North Korea in 2013 and claimed to have met and held her when she was a baby.

Although the exact number and identity of Kim Jong Un’s children remain unclear, Ju Ae has been appearing more often in public since late 2022. Her first known appearance was at the launch of a large intercontinental ballistic missile, when she stood beside her father.

Since then, she has attended several military events, and more recently, she was seen at political and diplomatic functions, including an event at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang in May. South Korean intelligence officials have said she appears to be the most likely successor at this stage, despite North Korea’s leadership being historically male-dominated.

Observers say her public role seems to be expanding, and her participation in the Beijing visit could be part of a larger effort to prepare her for future leadership.